


Kuroko no Tortured Souls

by tanightt



Category: Corpse Party (Video Game), Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Ain't no party like a corpse party, Angst, Background characters to be added, Blood and Gore, F/M, Feels, Gory gore is gory, KnB - Freeform, M/M, Panic Attacks, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Torture, Violence, death everywhere, if you've seen corpse party you know what's going down, the ships will sink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 18:03:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5301398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tanightt/pseuds/tanightt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You've all heard the stories, no? Before Seirin was built, there was another school on this property. Teiko  Elementary School, it was called."</p><p>*****</p><p>"As her pale white face cuts through the stillness, her soft voice always echoes the same question: 'Is anyone still here?"</p><p>***</p><p>"It's a charm I found on the Internet. If we do it right, then all of us will be together forever!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Single Charm

"It was a rainy evening after school, just like this one." Takao muttered, the small flames from the candle giving him a creepy appearance. "Running down the stairs, the kindly teacher lost his footing. He tumbled, and he fell... And he died."

Kise let out a dramatic gasp, only to be hit by Kasamatsu.

"You've all heard the stories, no? Before Seirin was built here, there was another school on this property. Teiko Elementary School, it was called. Such a horrible thing to happen, ne? The principal was completely devastated."

"Most would be, considering the bad name that would give." Kuroko said, looking very uninterested.

"Shush! I'm telling the story here!" Takao whined. "Ahem. The principal cared for the school as if it were his only child. But one thing led to another after the incident, and ultimately, a decision was reached. The school would be shut down. The principal was so grief-stricken over losing his precious child that on the very day of its closing, he suicided by jumping off of the school's roof. Or, that's what they say.

"People started to think that Teiko was cursed. This was just the latest of many deaths to occur there. That's why it was torn down. However!" Takao suddenly shouted, making his friends jump. "They say the teacher who fell down the stairs still has no idea he's dead, even to this very day. And in rainy evenings like this, after school hours have ended... Some say he roams these darkened hallways... Still believing them to be his own." Takao's grin grew at Momoi's frightened face and tight grip on Aomine's arm. "In fact, I believe it's time for her rounds. Just after seven o'clock... That's when she appears, always accompanied by a sudden blackout that leaves the entire building even darker than dark."

"'Knock knock,' you'll hear, from the blackness, followed by the sound of the classroom door... slooowly sliiiding open... As his pale white face cuts through the stillness, his soft voice always echoes the same question: 'Is anyone still here?' And then-"

Lightening struck loudly, flickering out the lights, startling everyone and eliciting a scream from Aomine (who will deny this ever happened) and a gasp from Himuro. Takao tried - and failed - to hold in a snicker.

"It's a blackout!" Kise wailed.

"Kise! Pull yourself together! And get off!" Kasamatsu yelled, presumably being harassed by said blonde.

"But senpai! It's scaryy!"

Himuro looked around anxiously. "I don't like this..."

Akashi rolled his eyes. "Nice try, Kazunari."

"I didn't do this!" Takao protested. "I've been sitting right here next to Shin-chan this whole time! This is a legitimate blackout! Right Shin-chan?" 

"Don't involve me with your nonsense, Takao."

An odd noise interrupted his inevitable defenses. Momoi gulped. "Does anyone else hear that noise?" Before anyone could answer, there came a tapping at the door.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"N-no way!" Takao spluttered, hiding behind Shintarou. Midorima sniffed, pushing up his glasses with his left hand, his lucky item of a plastic knife in his right.

"First the blackout, and now the door??" Aomine scowled.

Shuffling. "The hell's wrong with you, Kise? Get off of me! I'll hit you!"

"Ow! But Senpai!"

Tap. Tap.

"I thought this would be a bad idea," Kuroko said. "We shouldn't have stayed here so late."

"Oi, Tetsu," Aomine drawled. "Aren't you going to get the door? Momoi is obviously terrified. Doesn't just break your heart?"

Kuroko hummed, narrowed his eyes just barely. "Then why don't you do it, Aomine-kun?"

"It doesn't break my heart." Needless to say, Aomine did not miss the hand heading to his face from a certain pinkette. Akashi intervened.

"Tetsuya has no obligation to open the door. You really should do it, Daiki. I believe she is your childhood friend." Aomine grimaced. Reluctantly, and with a sore cheek, he dragged himself to the door.

"Is anyone still here?" A voice called out softly. "Go home, my sweet, sweet children.." The door slammed open, and Aomine Daiki most certainly did not give out a high-pitched screech, and did not jump back into Himuro.

Aida Riko waltzed in with an amused look on her face. "Oops. Did I scare you?"

"Riko-san?" Kise asked uncertainly from his spot under a desk. Akashi and Kuroko looked like they desperately wanted to facepalm.

Takao started guffawing as he walked up to Riko, and gave her a high-five. "All right!!" He said, wiping the tears off his face. "I'd call that a victory!"

"Aw! It was just a prank, bro!" Kise smiled good-naturedly.

"Never say that again, Kise. " Kasamatsu threatened. "And you better sleep with your eyes open, Takao."

Takao ignored him. "Your timing couldn't have been anymore perfect!"

"Well, I wasn't a student here too long ago. So when it comes to the "seven wonders of Seirin I'd say I'm pretty well versed!" Riko grinned.

"Aominechii! Are you okay? You screamed so loud!"

"S-shut up!"

Takao got a creepy smile on his face and clapped his hands together. "I love it when my pranks work. It's just soo delicious, your despair..."

Himuro shook his head. "Who knew you were so sadistic?"

"You guys' reactions were really great." Riko chuckled. "On a side note, I ran into a certain individual who decided to try and skip out." Riko got stern. "Get your sorry butt in here, Murasakibara!"

Murasakibara came in, with a sad look on his face. A lollipop was hanging out of his mouth. He was dragging a wet umbrella.

"Muro-chin. Riko is being mean. She slapped my back."

"And there's a lot more were that's coming from if I catch you ditching again!"

"Teachers aren't supposed to hurt their students."

"I'm not hurting you. I'm pushing you in the right direction with discipline. Now, it's past seven. Isn't it time for you all to head home?"

Kise pouted. "Do we have to? Shouldn't we clean up or something?"

Akashi agreed. "With the classroom like this, we could hold another culture festival tomorrow."

Riko twitched. "Isn't that what you were supposed to be doing?! This room was supposed to be clean when I got here."

Almost everyone looked guilty. Riko ran a hand through her short brown hair. "I'll make a deal with you all. You can leave it like this for now, but tomorrow morning you guys have to come in here early to clean up."

"Yes, ma'am!" Everyone chorused.

Riko nodded. "Now... The main problem... Kuroko. We know how hard it will be for you... For all of us, actually, to say goodbye.. But we all wish you the best of luck at your new school."

Everyone went somber. No one wanted Kuroko to leave, but they couldn't stop it. Kuroko looked down. "Thank you, Riko-san."

Kise started crying. "It won't be the same here without you, Kurokochii!" He latched onto Kuroko. Momoi quickly grabbed his other arm and buried her tear tracked face in it.

"Don't leave me Tetsu-kun!!" 

"I'm sorry, Momoi-san. I don't wish to leave, but I cannot stop this. I'll make sure to stay in touch with all of you." While his face remained passive, everyone could see the sadness in those baby's blue eyes.

Akashi looked at Kuroko. "You are not moving far away, so it's not as if we won't be able to see each other again."

"Yeah!" Himuro nodded. "Don't look so sad." Kuroko smiled. It was very faint, yes, but a smile nonetheless.

"Thank you. I am grateful to have you guys as my friends."

Momoi cried harder, if that was possible. "T-Take care of yourself! Send me pictures everyday!"

Murasakibara affectionately tousled Kuroko's hair. Aomine grinned at him.

Akashi rested a hand on Kuroko's shoulder and took out his phone. "How about we take a picture?" At Kuroko's nod of consent, everyone squished together, even Midorima, who could not get out of Takao's vice-like grip. Akashi angled his camera phone, and snapped the shot.

"Send it to my phone, ne~?"

"Me too!"

"Relax. I'm already on it."

Lightening cracked. "Hey, Riko-san! Can I do something with everyone before we leave?" Takao asked.

Riko looked interested. "Sure, long as it doesn't take too long."

"It won't!" Takao assured, taking out a paper doll he just happened to have. "It's called 'Sachiko Ever After.' "

Midorima grimaced. "Is this another one of your occult things?"

"Like you have room to talk, with your horoscope witchery! This is a charm I found on the Internet. If we do it right, then all of us will be together forever! Or we'll always be friends, anyway. That's the gist of this mystical charm."

"I'm down," Aomine shrugged.

Riko shook her head. "You guys are crazy. Everyone okay with this?" There was a mutual consent.

Everyone gathered around Takao's doll. "Okay. Everyone, grab a piece of the doll, nice and tight. In your head, repeat the words, 'Sachiko, we beg of you'... Eleven times. One for each person. Don't worry if you screw up, just don't stop halfway through or the charm will fail."

"What happens if it fails?" Midorima asked skeptically.

"Failure isn't an option, Shin-chan. Give it your all! Go!"

.............

"Everybody done? Great." Takao grinned. "Now everyone, pull the doll till you rip your own piece off!"

**RIIPPPP**

Lightening struck again.

"Nice! Takao clapped. "Make sure you keep the scrap safe! Put it anywhere it won't get lost! Long as we all have a piece of Sachiko with us, we'll always be friends!"

"That was so cool!" Momoi smiled. "I'll be sure to keep it safe. For Tetsu-kun!"

"Thank you, Takao-kun, Momoi-san, all of you. I appreciate-" Kuroko was cut off by the classroom rumbling and shaking.

"Ahhhh!" Kise shrieked. "Earthquake! Even Mother Nature doesn't want you to leave, Kurokochii!"

"Silence, Ryouta."

"What the hell?" Aomine scrambled around.

"This is crazy!"

"Everyone! Under your desks!" Riko commanded. "Now!"

Unfortunately, no one quite made it there, as the floor gave away, right from under their feet. Their screams of fear were drowned out by the creaking and breaking of floorboards.

The janitor, dancing around with his headphones blasting, a big bubble of gum out past his lips, was blissfully unaware of the eleven people being swallowed by the school.


	2. Closed Spaces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi wakes up in a very strange place.

 

Akashi's leg hurt like hell. He could still move it, though, so he just assumed it was a sprain. He peeled his eyes open, and winced.  _Huh? Did the earthquake cause a power outage?_

 

Akashi was in a dark classroom. He could barely see anything. "Is this the school? No..." Suddenly, the lights came back to life, briefly blinding him. "Hmm." All around him were desks and chairs and pieces of cardboard. The ugly walls were peeling, accompanied by large holes in the floor. "What is this place? These desks are so small... Am I in an elementary school?" He was instantly on edge. 

 

Grimacing, Akashi pushed himself up, making sure to distribute the majority of his weight onto his uninjured leg. He checked out his surroundings. In one of the classroom's corners was a random loose board. He looked to the front of the room, eyes widening. Kuroko was laying next to a large cabinet.

 

"Tetsuya!" He scowled at the desks blocking his way. "It seems I'll have to go around." Akashi speed walked out of the classroom's back exit and back in through through its front. His leg stung, but it didn't matter at the moment. He had to get to Tetsuya. He dodged the missing floor in the halls. 

 

Akashi rushed to Kuroko. "Tetsuya."   Akashi ran a hand through his now unruly hair. "At least you're still breathing... Tetsuya. Wake up."

 

Kuroko groaned. "Hnn.. Akashi... kun?" He sat up, looking around. His eyebrows drew together. "Where are we?"

 

"That is what I wish to know."

 

*****

 

Kuroko sighed, and gave up on the window. They weren't budging anytime soon. "These windows are sealed up tight, Akashi-kun. They almost seem like decorations."

 

Akashi hummed thoughtfully. For once, neither of them understood what was happening. Akashi didn't like it. He wasn't in control. "This is definitely a school building, though. Judging from the desk size, I have reason to believe it's an elementary school."

 

"But why would we be in an elementary school? It... can't be, can it?" Kuroko shook his head. Akashi spotted a flyer on the wall. He read it aloud. "T-teiko Elementary?!" Akashi scowled slightly at the stutter in his voice, unnoticed by his friend.

 

Kuroko inhaled sharply. "There's no way."

 

"What the hell is happening to us?" Akashi glared at the paper, as if that would send the answers.

 

"We've got to find the others!" Kuroko said, determinedly grabbing Akashi's hand. "Or find an exit to get help!" He started pulling Akashi out of the room. "This place is really creepy." Akashi let himself be led out, and was struggling not to blush from Kuroko's warm hand holding his. 

 

Before they could make it out the door, the room started shaking once again.

 

"Another earthquake?!" Akashi exclaimed. He seriously was getting freaked out (not that he was going to show it.) Kuroko ended up losing his balance and pulling Akashi down with him. Just as they fell, all was calm. "It's over already? That was relatively short." 

 

Kuroko let out a breath of relief. "This is not very fun. I am starting to lose my composure." He stood up, dragging Akashi with him. They stepped out into the hallway. Akashi looked briefly surprised. 

 

The hallway had seemed to redecorate itself. The lights were on, and there was a large gap in the floor between them and the rest of the school. Too far to risk jumping across. 

 

"We'll have to go another way." 

 

They turned around and and went down the hallway. There was a random bucket, filled with a yellow liquid. It did not smell pleasant whatsoever. Most likely urine. Dead end.

 

With nowhere else to go, they came back into the class. "Oh, yes. How silly of me to forget.. There was a wooden plank propped  against the wall. Perhaps it's sturdy enough to be a faux bridge."

 

Kuroko grunted, and picked it up, releasing Akashi's hand.

 

Before Akashi could insist that he carry the board, Kuroko gave him a glare. "Your leg is hurt. Don't think I didn't catch you limping, Akashi-kun. There is no reason for you to place anymore weight on yourself." 

 

"Well, at the very least, it hasn't completely ruined my ability to walk. I think I would be fine." Apparently, that wasn't the correct answer - or maybe it was.

 

 

"Akashi-kun shouldn't pressure himself. Lean on me for now." 

 

That at was a command Akashi was  100% fine with obeying.

 

They walked back to the gap. Kuroko sat him against the wall. As Kuroko placed the board, trying to make it stable, Akashi saw a small piece of newspaper resting on the floor.

 

**{Teiko Post}**

 

**Third Student Reported Missing**

 

_One by one, the young students of Teiko _____ School seem to be disappearing, as now a third student has joined the ranks of the missing._

 

_Classmates testify that fifth grader ________ was on his way home from school, but got separated from from his friends in the hall and hasn't been seen since._

 

_Police are investigating the possibility of a serial kidnapping and have assigned countless investigators to the case in hopes of a speedy resolution. However, ten days have already passed since the first disappearance, giving classmates and parents ample cause for concern._

 

"..." Akashi tilted his head. He felt that something was very wrong. He hid the newspaper away before Kuroko could see it.

 

"Come, Akashi-kun. I think we can walk across with this." They cross. Now, they have two places to enter. The rest of the floor is gone, and no board would be able to fix it.  Kuroko led him through the closest doorway, which brought them to a staircase. They couldn't go up to the second floor, seeing as there was a barricade of chairs chilling right in their way. As they were turning to go back down, a tinny voice spoke up. 

 

"Please, wait!"

 

Both boys froze. They looked around, but no one else was there. They both felt another presence with them. Believing that they were just hallucinating, they went back down.

 

Only one other place to go. As soon as they entered 'Classroom 2-A,' they felt something was very, very, very wrong. Kuroko let Akashi stand on his own. A good thing he did, too. Because when Kuroko saw the bones laying next to a desk, he didn't waste a second before turning and throwing up what little he had for lunch.

 

Akashi stiffened. "Are those human bones?" He stepped closer to get a better look. "These.. Actually are somebody's bones..."

 

"Why?" Kuroko breathed. He had rejoined Akashi, examining the body as well to make sure it was true. "W-why... Is there...?" Without warning, a blue flame appeared over the body. Akashi jumped back, and Kuroko tripped over himself. "Ah!"

 

"You two..." The spirit called. "Are new victims, no?"

 

"That's... G-Ghost..." Kuroko said shakily. "Who.. Who are you?" He took a couple of deep breaths, to no avail.

 

"I was brought here against my will. Confined... Just like you."

 

"What do you mean by confined?" Akashi demanded. He was pleased to hear that his voice didn't waver. "Are you implying there is no escape?"

 

"I'm afraid not. This school exists in a reality of its own, cut off from the outside world you know."

 

Kuroko swallowed. "Why have we been brought here?"

 

"'They' brought you. They're always bringing new victims into this school. More, and more, all the time. Sinless innocents, one after another. This is a cursed, multidimensional nexus. Multiple planes of existence piled on top of each other... All created by powerful, vengeful spirits.

 

"Closed space.. Or closed spaces, I should say... You, and we as well, are the unlucky victims of an inescapable abduction."

 

"Closed spaces?" Akashi raised an eyebrow. 

 

"Indeed. And it seems as though you two were not the only ones brought here. I'm sensing numerous others..."

 

Kuroko's eyes widened hopefully. His friends were all here with them. They could find all of them and escape together. 

 

"Don't get your hopes up. I can't tell the exact number, but I do know others were pulled in at the same time as you. They're definitely in this school."

 

"They're here with us! So we aren't alone!" Kuroko was smiling with his eyes. 

 

"Like I said, don't get your hopes up. You cannot meet them. Yes, they are in this school, but the space they occupy is different than the space that we occupy. If you wish to see your friends, you must find some means of entering their space, or bringing them into this one.... Even then, escape is nigh impossible, but at least you'll be able to die together." The ghost sounded strangely wistful.

 

Both teens took a moment to digest all that information. Akashi spoke up. "Is there truly no way out, then? You said we were brought here by vengeful spirits. Who are they, and why have they taken us?"

 

"I don't know. Neither our captor's motives, nor a means of escaping this hell. All I know is that... With some effort, you can atleast live out your days together in the same space. And that alone is a fate worth fighting for. Two heads are better than one. Your chances are much greater when working together." the spirit's voice grew sad. "Do whatever you can to find a way out of here... Don't end up like us..."

 

And before they knew it, the spirit trickled out of existence and the door at the front of the classroom popped open. Neither of them had even noticed it was closed in the first place. 

 

But it in place of the ghost was another. It was sitting next to the blackboard. It was a young girl, wearing a torn up red silk dress. She had black hair, and looked distraught. "No..."

 

Kuroko and Akashi both tensed up. This ghost aura the ghost gave off was not friendly whatsoever. Kuroko jumped to his feet and pushed Akashi out of the room, forgetting about his hurt ankle.

 

As soon as they were back into the hall, they released breaths they didn't realize they had been holding. "Are you okay, Akashi-kun?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Was that a child spirit?"

 

"It most certainly did glow... Interesting. I've never believed in ghosts before..."

 

Kuroko rested his his head against the wall. His normally blank expression was one of unease. "Is this... Actually happening? There were definitely ghosts in there... First time I've ever seen something of the sort."

 

"If we both saw it, it's more than likely it was real. Especially since we were speaking to it." Akashi pursed his lips. "I don't enjoy not understanding this. The only thing I can be positive of is that there is no easy way out.... Like it or not..."

 

"We're stuck in here," Kuroko finished. His monotone voice grew strong. "But... Let's not lose all hope. The ghost never told us it was completely hopeless. I have faith in our abilities, Akashi-kun! So let's find the others and get out of here together!"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated! This is my first fic, so please be gentle! Not like that! I mean... I don't know. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	3. Stalling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi and Kuroko started off fine. Himuro most certainly did not.

Sometimes, Himuro believed that fate hated him. And perhaps he would be right. 

 

Himuro had read books watched movies about people being trapped, with no way out. He had always though it was cliche. Amusing, yes, but cliché. 

 

Himuro peeked his head out of the bathroom stall, barely letting the door open, so that if Murasakibara spotted him hiding, he could shut the door and lock it quietly. Himuro felt a pang in his heart.

 

 _Murasakibara_.

** 

As soon as he had woken up, he knew something was wrong. Probably from the sheer fact that he was trapped in a closet with absolutely no light.

 

He had pounded relentlessly on the door, praying that someone would find him. And someone did. 

 

When Murasakibata had opened the door, Himuro had never been more grateful.

 

That feeling shortly changed into unadulterated fear. 

 

Murasakibara had seemed oddly calm upon learning that they were trapped inside of an elementary school full of dead bodies rotting away and were never going to see their other friends before they were killed in here, which Himuro didn't entirely believe at first.

 

Himuro had complimented Atsushi on his level-headedness. When Atsushi didn't respond, Tatsuya got worried. Atsushi always responded happily to compliments. Himuro had tried calling out his name.

 

Nothing.

 

Finally, as Himuro was considering slapping some sense into his— _ahem_ —friend, Murasakibara had painfully uttered one word that would change him indefinitely.

 

"R-run..." 

 

Himuro didn't understand. Why had Atsushi sounded so distraught? Did he truly believe there was no escape? When Atsushi had turned to him is when Himuro Tatsuya understood.

***

Himuro held his breath, hearing someone outside of the bathroom. He double checked that the stall door was locked, trying not to loose his balance on the toilet he was crouching on to hide his feet and head from anything (anyone) that decided to come in. He was grateful it didn't creak or give beneath his weight. His hands ached from the splinters the wooden walls gifted him.

 

" _ **Muuuurooooo**_ - _ **chiiiiin**_..." 

 

Himuro kept completely still, ignoring the itch under his beauty mark and throbbing pain in his arm. He took slow, silent breaths, willing himself to calm down.

 

Heavy footsteps rang in the silence. Himuro was very proud of himself for knowing to crawl on his hands and knees in order to lock every other stall as well, so his wouldn't be conspicuous.

 

 _Inhale_.

 

" **Muro-chin? Are you hiding in** **here**?"

 

 _Exhale_.

 

Himuro never thought he would see the day he'd be hiding on top of a toilet in an abandoned elementary school from the male he'd had an ample fondness for. 

 

 _Life is strange_. 

 

 _Inhale_.

 

Himuro had a feeling the spot wasn't going to last long. If there was one thing Atsushi wasn't, it was dumb. Idiotic and childish sometimes, yes, very, but never dumb. Assuming... Whatever was possessing him to do this gained his traits, they would surely observe that all the stalls in the Ladies' Room were unable to be opened from the outside while the Men's were not. Himuro was, at the most, _stall_ ing for time.

 

 _Exhale_. 

 

Himuro heard a sigh of exasperation right outside of his door. The footsteps got farther away, but not before one last sentence was muttered in a voice Himuro wished had been sane.

 

 **"Muro-chin... I'm hungry. Do you have any food?**." 

 

 _I don't know,_ , Himuro thought, glancing at the ring of teeth marks on his arm, bleeding and oh-so painful.  _You_ _seem perfectly fine trying to eat me_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Kudos and comments are appreciated. I'll try to update regularly, but be patient. :) Thanks, and have a good one!


	4. Not So Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He should've obeyed his instincts and stayed home today. Cancers had been ranked 2nd unluckiest, (Scorpios being the most unfortunate.) and his lucky item was so easily lost.

Shintarou had understood everything after he had woken up in a school, (that was supposed to have been decimated) been chased by some ghost kid with weird forked eyebrows and a missing eye, and found enough corpses that you could have replaced the water of a tsunami with them and pretty much still have the same effect.

 

All this was happening because he had lost today's lucky item. When he woke up in classroom 3-A, that was the first thing he felt after realizing he didn't have his glasses. Then he noticed the pile of blurry bones right next to his face with a blue spirit floating over it, waiting to help him out. And shrieked. Only a little. 

 

He remembered what Oha Asa had said this morning.

 

".... So remember to wield your lucky scissors today, Sagittarius! And in 11th, we have Cancers! Today's lucky item for you is any Pokemon card. Remember, Cancers, try to stay indoors, and take care of any beloved Scorpios today, who are stuck in last place. You guys are going to have a very undesirable day, so make sure you have your lucky item of a shogi piece, dear Scorpios!"

 

If he had stayed in his own home, he probably wouldn't have ended up in a school with no exits, that was full of dead people, ghosts who meant him harm, and left supposedly rendered unable to reunite with any of his acquaintances outside of his "space." Now, Shintarou would probably never admit this to another living soul—he could barely even accept it in his own mind—but he sincerely hoped he wasn't alone. Heck, even one other person to keep him company would make him happy.

 

Preferably Takao.

 

But only because Takao would fill the awful silence with endless babble, optimistic sentences spouting out of his mouth.

 

( _Not_ because Takao had wormed his way into Shintarou's heart, and _not_ because Shintarou felt a ridiculous urge to make sure the Scorpio was safe. Midorima just didn't like the eerie silence, is all. And Takao could potentially prove to be useful.)  

 

Shintarou wrinkled his nose as he entered the Ladies' Restroom. Like everywhere else in the school, it reeked of rotting flesh and oldness, with dreary walls letting their paint peel off. He took note of the holes in the floorboard, making sure to not kill himself by falling down them.

 

It's not as if he went in here for a specific reason. He was carefully touring the place, looking for anything useful. All he had found were a few Student IDs, and newspapers, and pieces of torn paper with saddening final messages from the deceased. Things like, ' _ **Don't end up like me, Koujaku! I love you**_!' or, _ **'I'll find you once**_ _**again, Celty-kun! Wait for me**_!'

 

Honestly, he thought the messages were not worth it. If they knew that they were going to die, it should have been obvious that the loved ones they were writing to wouldn't survive either. 

 

As as soon as he had those thoughts, his conscience had betrayed him, telling him how ' _You_ _wouldn't be thinking that if you were in their shoes. You'd want to hold onto the_ _hope that_ _you could see_ _Kazunari again.'_

 

And naturally, he had ignored his  obviously delusional conscience.

 

 

 

Shintarou raised an eyebrow at the stalls. Every single one of them seemed to be locked. One stall looked like it had two trails of tiny blood droplets, probably leading in and out. They were barely noticeable though, with how dark the floor was and the amount of dirt and grime on it. 

 

Nothing else seemed interesting, but just as he was turning to leave, the very last stall caught his eye. There seemed to be a body inside it, leaning against the door. Since the wooden door stopped about a foot above the floor, the body's lower back being the only thing visible. But that wasn't all.

 

Shintarou could see the bottom of a bright orange jacket. And while it could have been a random person who just happened to be wearing an orange jacket, he was reminded of the one Takao always decided to wear to match his. It seemed to be made of the same fabric, too. 

 

Suspicious—not truly worried, because that definitely wasn't   ~~Takao~~ or anyone he knew. 

 

His heart started to pump faster because of the curiousity, and his throat constricted at the fact that was just acting silly for no reason, _not_ because there was a chance the body could be a very talkative teen who he's been with for so long he doesn't remember what life without him was like.

 

Let it be known that the great one and only, Midorima Shintarou, nearly had a heart attack when he crawled underneath the stall door—being mindful of his taped fingers—to find that the unmoving, disturbingly silent body was, indeed, belonging to Takao Kazunari.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are appreciated. Thank you to those who are enjoying this story. Expect the next chapter up soon! Thanks for being patient. Much love <3<3!


	5. Dead (Am I?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazunari is really just not understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read this. Comments and kudos are appreciated. Thanks!

Takao Kazunari knew he was not the sharpest knife in the restaurant. He wasn't totally stupid, though. His smarts were nothing to brag about, but they were still fairly good. 

 

However, not even their brilliant Student Council President, Akashi, could explain how and why Kazunari was hovering over his own body—which was precariously placed to be resting against a bathroom stall door—as soon as he woke up. 

 

Takao was honestly just so confused. He stared at his unmoving body.

 

How _._

 

 _What_.

 

 _ **What**_.

 

 _ **What**_. 

 

Kazunari tentatively reached out a  transparent hand to touch his body.   

 

It went right on through. _Maybe_ _I'm dead_ , Kazunari mused, _but how did I just up and_ _die in here? Am I a ghost now? Where the hell am I, exactly? And my god, why does it sound like a funeral outside of here? Hmm.._

 

Kazunari just assumed he was dead. That was the only reasonable explanation he could come up with.  The questions were, where was he? Why was he dead? How come he felt so calm?  _  
_

 

Taking advantage of his not being solid, Kazunari wisped through his body through the door. He regretted this action. Outside of the stall, the ugly bathroom walls were peeling like an orange, the majority of the the mirrors were cracked beyond belief, and the were way too many holes in the floor. And seriously? Why was every single stall door locked? What was the point of that?

 

Oh, and there were blue flames wailing and talking and crying among each other scattered around the room. That too.

 

Seriously, what was this?! 

 

Kazunari looked at at one the mirrors, and was surprised to see a reflection. Granted, he could barely see himself, but he was still there. Kazunari shook his head. He felt oddly tranquil. 

 

" _Wow... So you're one of them_." 

 

Takao looked down to see one of the blue flames sitting right in front of him. Now he was going to be talking to fire. Maybe this is what the afterlife is.

 

"Are... You talking to me?" Takao asked, because hey, maybe... it was facing the other direction and talking to another fire. He couldn't tell.

 

" _There was another here like you_..." the floating flame continued. " _His name was Izuki Shun. Poor guy almost got out with most of his friends, due to his advanced ability..."_

 

The name wasn't ringing any bells. Advanced ability? And almost got out? With most of his friends? Is everybody just spontaneously dying or something? Takao tried rubbing the back of his neck, huffing when his hand just touched air. "Uh... can you...?"

 

" _You are in Teiko Elementary School."_

 

Takao raised an eyebrow. Maybe he wasn't dead. Maybe he was just hallucinating. Perhaps he shouldn't have eaten the dreadful rice Shin-chan (tried to make) made yesterday.

 

Shin-chan.

 

"Oh!" Takao jumped. "Is Shin-chan in this place too? Is he still alive?"

 

" _Are you referring to the person you are sharing a space with?"_

 

 _"_ I... What? If you mean personal space, then yeah I share that with Shin-chan, he doesn't have a choice in that matter, but–" Takao snorted.

 

" _No, idiot. Your closed space. The closed space that renders you unable to meet with the other people who I am assuming are your comrades, seeing as you all came at the same time."_

 

 _"_ I have no clue what you're talking about... But my friends are here? Are they okay? Where are they? Can I have an someone help me understand what the heck-"

 

All the blue fires suddenly froze.

 

" _Intruder. Someone from this space is entering. I suggest you hide your hawkeye. Not all the people you are stuck with are friendly_."

 

"My _what_?"

 

" _Just hide._ " 

 

Deciding that, hey, he had nothing to lose anymore, Takao flew back into the stall his body was in, and floated on top of the john. Takao looked at his body as the door opened.

 

 _Wonder_... _how_ _I_ _died_..? 

 

Takao listened to the door open, heard someone walk inside. He wanted to sigh, but kept it in his throat. He didn't know if the living could hear him, and if they could, he didn't want whoever it was to end up being crazy and desecrate his body. 

 

Takao would still really appreciate if someone explained what was happening because he was just so lost, he didn't even understand. 

 

The he footsteps came closer to where he was. It was then Takao realized that whoever was out there could see the lower back of his somehow dead body. _Oops_. Takao held his breath, looked beneath the door. His eyes widened when the person dropped to their knees, revealing a person wearing the same orange pants and jacket as himself.

 

Not to mention the tape on his fingers. Takao had his automatically knew who it was, but still gaped when Midorima crawled under the door of the stall, eyes immediately traveling to his body. Takao cringed when he froze.

 

"Shin-chan..." Midorima's head snapped up, and Takao was pretty sure he died seven times over when he saw Midorima directly looking at him with a distraught expression, that of which left almost as soon as it arrived. Takao noticed Midorima wasn't wearing his glasses, and was squinting. 

 

"Takao...?"

 

"Shin-chan?" Takao gasped. "You can see me?"

 

"Obviously," Midorima snapped. "What is this?"

 

"I don't know," Takao grins sheepishly. "I think I'm dead."

 

Midorima frowned. Reaching forward with his untaped hand, Takao watched in confusion as he touched his neck. Before Takao could comment on it, he seized up. Midorima furrowed his eyebrows, not looking at the floating Takao.

 

"If you are a ghost... Then why do you still have a pulse? Your body I mean. And how are you spirit-like?"  Upon not being graced with a reply, Midorima turns to Takao, to see the 'ghost' not moving, wearing a look of panic. "What are you doing? Takao?"

 

Takao found his airway constricted. His body abruptly floated up until he was completely straight. When he felt himself being pushed forward into his body, he expected to go through the floor, not to land _inside_ his body. 

 

****

 

When Takao-spirit fell inside his body, Midorima honestly thought Takao was doing something to annoy him even further—being trapped in this place could irritate you very quickly—and was about yell at him when Takao's body shot up. Midorima jumped back, hitting the wall separating them from the next stall over.

 

Takao opened his amber eyes, glancing around, confused. "Eh?" He looked down at himself. "Uh..."

 

Midorima didn't know what to say either. First, he thinks he sees one of the only people he'd call a friend dead in a bathroom stall, just to find that the body is still alive even though its spirit is floating, just to have that spirit return to its body and have the body reanimate.

 

Midorima, probably one of the smartest in Seirin, was completely, utterly, and helplessly confused.

 

Takao was just staring at everything. His nose wrinkled in disgust. "It smells like someone died in here!"

 

"Someone probably did." Midorima say solemnly, trying focus on Takao's very blurry face. He could tell Takao was sporting one of his infamous grins.

 

"Care to explain? Those weird spirit flame-things wouldn't, I seriously," Takao laughed. "I'm super confused."

 

"You've talked with a spirit?"

 

"Spirit? I thought I was going insane. Wait... So-"

 

 _"I can explain_!" A bubbly voice called. Sitting on top of the stall was another fire. " _Story time!_ " It giggled. Then it moaned in pain. " _Ooh, forgot about the rib, ow. Damn, this curse sucks ass. When you guys die in here, try to make it as painless as possible."_

 

 _"_ What? Why are we gonna die?" Takao asked. Midorima can tell he's about to babble questions faster than Bill Nye to Siri, so he interrupts. _  
_

 

"What is the importance of that?" 

 

" _Simply put,_ " the spirit jumped down to their level. " _Simply put_.... _Simply put, when you die here, all the pain you felt at your last moments of death stays with you. **Forever**."_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S.S. MidoTaka is starting their adventure


	6. Teachers Don't Have It Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riko loves her students, no matter what. She'd do anything for them.

Aida sighed. This was very... Interesting.

 

Momoi was crying into Aomine's chest. Said person looked completely at a loss of what to do.

 

A teacher, as part of their job, was obligated to protect his/her students, no matter the cost. But how could she protect someone that wasn't there? Well, of course, they were there, but they weren't, at the same time. They were all in different spaces. Some of her students could be an entire 24 hours ahead of her. Some could be 2 minutes behind. Hell, it's possible some of her students were decades away, and she still wouldn't know. Maybe she she was in the exact same place as a student, with the same time. She still wouldn't be able to know they were there it they didn't occupy the same space. Her students could also share the same space with her, but not be in the area. That could still be a possibility.

 

One thing she did know for sure, though, was when someone died, their corpse didn't stay in their space. Any corpse was able to be seen no matter what space you were in at the time. When she had found Aomine and Momoi, they had been frozen in a classroom, staring at a corpse Riko was unhappy to say barely affected her.

 

As soon as she had pulled them out of there, and into the mostly clear classroom she woke in, she explained everything.

 

Momoi had started crying, and for once, Aomine kept quiet. "Riko-san, D-Dai-chan! What if why d-don't see our f--friends again! I do-don't want Te-e-estu-kun to get hurt, or-r, or Ki-chan-n, or, o-or, or-"

 

"Shush, Satsuki," Riko said, attempting comfort. "They'll be fine." Riko didn't believe that herself, but she needed her students calm. "I'm going to go look around for the others again, yeah?"

 

"Noo!" If anything, that just makes Satsuki cry harder. "You m-might g-get hurt! W-we shouldn't s-separate!"

 

"Satsuki's right. That's how they die in horror movies," Aomine supplied, and if they had been in a different situation Riko would have most certainly hit him for adding fuel to the fire.

 

"But everyone is s-split up now, Dai-chan!"

 

"And this place does seem pretty horror-like," Aomine continued, staring blankly at the ceiling. Riko did hit him this time, earning a yelp.

 

"Hush!" Riko said, rubbing her temples. "Daiki, seriously, don't make the issue more complicated than need be. Take care of Satsuki while I'm out. Satsuki, I'm just going to walk around a bit, I'll come right back. Don't let Daiki mess with you right now, gather yourself. Deep breaths. And stay. Here. Get it? Got it? Good."

 

Leaving no room for argument, Riko power walked out, praying to whatever deity was out there that Aomine didn't torment Satsuki even more, because the last thing she needed was for Satsuki to stop functioning.

 

****

 

Riko had almost finished double-checking, when she came across classroom 4-A.

 

When she was with Satsuki and Daiki, this door had been locked. It wasn't anymore. Taking a cautious step in, Riko observed the room.

 

Another normal classroom, except... Right on her left was a wardrobe, and it was... Full of hair? And stuffed in between the doors was a piece of paper with a drawing on it.  

 

Carefully pulling it out, Riko was creeped out by the picture. It was obviously drawn by an adolescent.

 

The picture included several people, all of which were holding fists out at an adult in the middle. On top of the adults head was a label that said 'Teacher' in neat cursive. The people around him had labels, like 'Leorio' or 'Gon' or 'Killua.' On the back of the paper was a note. 

 

_Hisoka-sensei._

 

_You betrayed us. You tried to screw us al over. How dare you? How dare you try to hurt me and my friends? How could you? How dare you?_

 

_You killed them. You killed them. You killed them. Hisok-sensei. You killed them. I saw you kill Leorio. I saw you murder Killua. I saw you slaughter Gon._

 

_So it's okay if I kill you. To repent for your sins._

 

_I'll kill you._

 

_You can't hurt anyone anymore, Hisoka-sensei. You've been forgiven._

 

At this point, the writing became incomprehensible, and Riko shook her head, frowning. From what she had gathered, it was obvious another group of students had done this with their teachers. The teacher must have done something awful. 

 

Riko, disturbed, turned her back to the warbdrobe. Her mistake.

 

The entire wardrobe suddenly flew forward, crushing Riko. Riko exhaled sharply, and shrieked when her body registered the pain.

 

The glass that allowed her to see inside had broken was was stabbing into her, and and the wardrobe seemed to be getting heavier and heavier, and the pain was excruciating, like needles were pushing into her every pore, like every nerve was in high alert, and she was burning, and she just wanted it to stoP **stop** , _StOp_ _stop_ —

 

" _Hehe_..." A bright red flame apparated in front of Riko, who was gasping for air. " _Hello, sensei."_

 

Riko looks up, crying, and she can barely hear over the agony. 

 

_"Are you ready to repent for your sins?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments/kudos are very much appreciated. Thank you for reading! <3
> 
> Are you guys enjoying this? Let me know, so I know that the crossover nobody asked for is appealing! (Somehow or another!)


	7. Hawkeye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well. 
> 
> It was good that he got some kind of explanation.

Takao let out a breath. This was a lot to take in.

 

" _So, the spaces make it so you can't be_ _with everyone! You get it now?"_ Nora said. Takao nodded, having accepted where they were and what was happening when they brought him to a corpse. 

 

"So...?" Takao prompted.

 

 _"So what? You can't just expect me to know what you want to say_!" The ghost, who's name used to be Nora, chuckled. 

 

"My half-dead thing? And why I was seeing a whole bunch of blue things before, but now there suddenly gone?"

 

"What he means," Midorima sighed. "Is that he wants to know why he woke up as a spirit, and and understanding of everything transpired after that."

 

" _So sophisticated! Man, you're so lucky to have him as your anchor."_

 

 _"_ What do you mean by anchor? Yeah, Shin-chan is definitely heavy, but I don't think he'd be good with catching onto a rock at the bottom of the sea." 

 

"Shut up, Bakao!"

 

" _D'aaw, y'all cute. Shinny is your anchor! The one who brings you out of the spirit world!"_ Midorima resisted the urge to tell her to not call him that. He didn't want to be the reason they lost a source of information. " _Didn't_   _Ebisu tell you about Izuki Shun? He is... was, like you. He had the eagle-eye. You have the hawkeye."_

 

 

"That's what the other spirit said. What does it mean?"

 

" _A double_ _rainbow_! _What_ _does_   _it_   _meeeeeeaaaaannn! Sorry, I had to. Um, you aren't dead. Or half-dead. You just have an Eye. People with an Eye have incredibly high levels of spirituality. If you have an Eye, you have the ability to become a 'spirit,' both spontaneously or at will."_

 

Takao tilted his head. This wasn't exactly making sense.

 

 _"I see ya still ain't_ _getting it. It's okay, no_ t _all of_ _us can be smart._ " 

 

Takao looked offended. "My feelings! I may not be the smartest, but you can't call me dumb!"

 

" _Unfortunately_ ," Nora continued, as if none of that had happened. " _There is a great weakness that comes with bearing an Eye_."

 

Takao raised a brow, grinning. "What is it? Will it be whoever looks at me will be captivated forevermore?"

 

Nora laughed. " _It's certainly impressive how you can keep being so humorous after being trapped in a school and seeing a corpse_."

 

"Are you kidding me? You've been making awful jokes this whole time, and you're dead!"

 

" _And still feeling it now, Mr. Crabs_."

 

 _"Ahem."_ Midorima interrupted, a light scowl on his face. "As nice as this conversation is, it would be very much appreciated if you gave us more information about the 'Eye,' nanodayo." _  
_

 

Takao let out a chuckle. "Yeah, Shin-chan's probably right."

 

"I am right."

 

"Oi, don't go all Akashi on me!" Takao's eyes widened. "Speaking of which, does that mean Akashi has an Eye too?"

 

" _Who's Akashi? Give me a description, I'll check."_

 

 _"_ Oh. Um. Like, 2 feet tall, and his hair resembles a tomato, and so does his right eye, but his left is like, 'Aye I'm gonna be a rebel,' and is a banana." _  
_

 

Midorima seriously face-palmed. 

 

" _Oh, him. The one with little boy blue. No, he doesn't have an Eye. At least, not the kind we're talking about. His mental stability isn't the best, though. He'll probably succumb to the darkening."_

 

Takao clapped his hands. "So Akashi is with Tsuya-chan? Nice. We all know Akashi is crazy, but what's the darkening?"

 

" _It's basically the equivalent of completely loosing your mind. You allow your darkest thoughts to control you, and most of the time, you can't be fixed. You're just stuck  bat-shit crazy."_

 

Midorima shook his head. "Akashi has dissociative identity disorder. But even if he isn't truly right in his mind, he has control over himself. Or at least this one does." 

 

" _Yeah, yeah, whatever. The point is that you have the power to be Danny Phantom with Shinny boy as your anchor_!"

 

 "Anchor. How is he an anchor?" 

 

 _"Like Hyuuga was Izuki's anchor, Shinny is your anchor, Kazu! He's the thing that keeps you rooted to your body! Figure it out yourself, I don't want to give spoilers. I can't explain everything, I do need this to continue_."

 

"Why are you talking like your writing a story or something?"

 

 _"Don't worry about it, Kazu! Just breaking the fourth wall_." Nora bounced up and down. " _That's_ _all I have to say. I hope this didn't help_ _you_!"

 

"Hold on," Midorima said. "If you are not going to be helpful, answer me this: what was the weakness you avoided telling us earlier?"

 

Nora's flame seemed to glow brighter. " _You know, possession is a frightful thing. To have your thoughts forced down into the pit of your soul, and someone else's replace them._.."

 

Takao whined. "Stop being so ominous, Nora-chan! I don't understand!"

 

"That's not new," Midorima snorted. Takao threw him a scandalized look.

 

" _I ship it,_ " Nora squealed excitedly. " _So hard. Tata, my sons. I will be watching over you."_

 

 _"Wait!"_ Takao exclaimed, but Nora was already gone. They were alone in the bathroom.

 

Midorima scowled even more. "That barely helped."

 

"I disagree, Anchor-chan! I have a superpower! I'm the hero this city needs, now!"

 

"Shut up, Bakao!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't supposed to be Midorima and Takao. It wasn't. But it happened because I am biased towards them they the real OTP—
> 
> I am biased. Very much. My apologies. I will go sit in the corner.
> 
> Ahem. As I was saying. This just happened. Um


	8. Absence Makes Thy Mind Grow Darker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko leaves Akashi in the Infirmary. 
> 
> An unwise decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter. Thanks for reading. Comments and kudos do help. 
> 
> Oh my, Ive been lazy, sorry. I promise I'll get another chapter up soon!

Akashi knew he shouldn't have let Tetsuya wander off to look by himself. Tetsuya could be persuasive, yes, but Seijuuro was absolute(ly whipped.)

He had a bad feeling, and his instincts—well, he himself—were never incorrect.

Tetsuya had assured him that he would be fine out on his own, but Akashi was skeptical, and for a good reason. Who wouldn't, when you're stuck in an elementary school littered with corpses of all shapes and sizes.

Akashi sighed, sitting up on the fluffy bed that was supposed to be used for patients, shoving his regrets into the back of his mind, because nothing would come from remorse besides misery, and Akashi refused to give into despair.

He looked down at his hurt ankle, which had been diligently wrapped up by Tetsuya, who left right after, telling him that it wouldn't hurt to check if the others couldn't be found, or make sure that there really was no exit, and they really weren't just being bullshitted. Of course, Kuroko didn't actually say that last bit, for he was too polite, but Akashi knew that's what he would've said.

The infirmary wasn't all that different from the rest of the rooms. There were some curtains around the beds, presumably for privacy, but they were all torn up and dirty, so they'd be useless. A blank nurse's desk sat dusty, next to small shelves hidden behind glass displaying syringes, gauze, painkillers, etc. 

Akashi lied back down with a huff. He was terribly bored, but he was aware that it was unwise to leave. If Akashi were to get up, and run into Tetsuya, or not return before he did, he would disappoint his lov- his friend. 

Tetsuya, more than likely, would say that it was okay, and attempt to brush it off, act like he wasn't upset, but his blue eyes would tell a different story.

It wasn't like Akashi was worried about angering Tetsuya. ... He'd just rather stay in Tetsuya's good books.

Akashi hated to think about it, but if he were to be honest with himself, he knew that Tetsuya–

Knock. Knock.

Akashi opened his eyes, not realizing he had even shut them in the first place. But that's not what he cared about. 

Did someone knock on the door, even though it was open? Why? 

That's when Akashi saw it standing in front of his bed.

It was, too put it simply, a shadow. But it wasn't his. Nor was it Tetsuya's, or any of his friends for that matter. And it wasn't on the wall. It was standing, pitch black with glowing red circles in place of where its eyes should be. No mouth, clothes, nothing. It was like a terrifying mannequin.

Akashi found that he was frozen. What is that?

It wasn't human, that was for sure.

The shadow-mannequin-man lifted up a wispy hand, reaching out to him with a long finger. Akashi rose out of the bed, dropping his feet on the floor, cautious of his ankle. He had an idea of what was happening, and did not like it one bit.

Akashi felt his heart start to pound, and his throat tighten. He took a deep breath, attempting to keep his cool.

"W-what are you?" Akashi's voice barely faltered.

It charged right at him, and Akashi jumped out of range, ankle no longer hurting, adrenaline dancing in his veins. Akashi had two choices.

Fight or flight.

When the shadow suddenly revealed that it had mouth this whole time, opened it wide to show off blood replacing saliva, a tongue made of an intestine, and an eyeball where a uvula should be hanging, Akashi decided to book it.

But he couldn't, because the door was blocked with...hair? Black hair??

Akashi tried tugging at the door to open it, to no effect. He pursed his lips as he turned back around to the shadow, breaths certainly not slowing, using his wits to think of a way out of this. He didn't want to use his Emperor Eye. He was scared of what he might see.

Ha. Akashi Seijuuro, scared? That's a surprising one. He was usually the one to cause fear.

The shadow came closer, and when Akashi remembered, he actually face palmed at his own stupidity. That made the shadow stop in confusion.

"How did I forget?" Akashi shook his head, reaching into his pocket, where he fit his red-handled scissors. Good thing they didn't get lost in the fall. "I am disappointed in myself. Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with you. Good day."

And then Akashi turned his back to the enemy, and started snipping through the thick hair, checking every so often to make sure the shadow wasn't edging closer.

When he had finally broken through, he looked over his shoulder at the shadow, still just standing there with his jaw hanging down. "I order you to stay in this room. And consider closing your mouth. It's disgusting." Making sure his glare is as menacing as possible, Akashi sauntered out, closing the doors right behind him.

**** 

When he's sure he's okay, he allows his eyes to widen, and he definitely starts feeling the burn of his ankle when he drops down to his knees, and starts to hyperventilate. Wouldn't it be a sight of someone saw him like this?

Akashi, kneeling with wide eyes and taking in breaths through his mouth faster than his father gains money, struggling to stop himself from full-out panicking, struggling to maintain a state of false normalcy—it would be indescribable blackmail.

But no one is there to see Akashi loose his grip. No one ever is. Except for him.

"Akashi-kun...?"


	9. Rifts and Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey.
> 
> Maybe it would have been a good idea to stay together.

Akashi doesn't know why he feels a rush of anger crash full force though his veins, but it's still there, and it took over.

Let it be know, that in most situations, the angrier Akashi Seijuurou is, the calmer his demeanor.

 

 

"Tetsuya," Seijuurou says, standing up. "How nice of you to finally take the time to return."

"Akashi-kun, are you sure you're alright?" Kuroko's blue eyes show concern, and Akashi wonders why he hates it.

"Perfectly fine," Akashi answers, and he makes sure to sound neutral. "The demonic presence that intended to harm me in the infirmary was a bit stressful, however."

Kuroko's eyes widen, a contrast to his usually stoic expression. "You were attacked?"

"Yes. Seeing as though it hasn't followed me out, I presume it cannot leave. It would be best to avoid this room from now on."

"Akashi-kun, what happened?" Kuroko attempts to sound calm, but a small sliver of panic could be heard. "Are you positive you're okay?"

"I was attacked by a demonic presence," Akashi repeats, eyes narrowing. "No thanks to you, of course."

Odd.

Kuroko blinks. "I am sorry for leaving you." Kuroko tries to step forward and rest a hand on his shoulder, but Akashi had always been one step faster than him.

Kuroko looks vaguely hurt, when Akashi steps away. He lets his hand fall back, leaving the awkward silence between them untouched. 

 

"...How is your ankle?"

 

"I believe it is just fine."

 

"..."

 

".."

 

"That's good."

 

"Yes."

 

"Are you upset with me, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko's eyebrows draw close together, and Akashi really isn't.

"Let us continue investigating, Tetsuya." He easily brushes past his companion, being mindful of his injury and the holes in the floor. Akashi doesn't wait to see if Kuroko is following.

Strange.

 

*

"Oi, Riko!"

"Hush, Dai-chan! Something might hear you!"

Aomine rolls his eyes, but quiets down anyways before opening up the door to classroom 4-A. It's abnormally large for a classroom, though that was probably because the hole in the middle was the size of a pickup truck. Momoi whimpers quietly and Aomine winces as their eyes hit the high-schooler-sized bodies on either side. But that's not all.

"What the hell's that?" Aomine's face twists in confusion at the glinting object on the other side of the room.

"Hmm." Momoi narrows her pink eyes, using her natural talent of observation. "That looks like a key! Let's go get it!" She grabs onto his arm tugs. Aomine humors her and lets himself be pulled along through the left exit and back in through the right one. Only to be faced with a pleasant surprise.

"What the fuck?" Aomine says, because why the hell is the key on the other side of the room where they were?

Momoi looks intensely focused. She seemed to have significantly calmed down. She stalks out of the room, and Aomine follows.

 

When they enter through the other door, the key is on the opposite side again–what a surprise. 

 

"The key moves when we do," Momoi says, finally turning to face him. "Dai-chan, go to the other side of the room, and approach the key. When it jumps over, I'll grab it!" Aomine grunts and does as he's told.

When he goes near the key, it jumps onto Momoi's side, exactly where she is standing. She catches it and grins. 

 

"It's the key to the Library! Maybe this will be useful after we find Riko-san!"

Momoi astounded Daiki, sometimes. Some saw her as just a pretty girl to hit on, or someone they could just leech answers off of. (Daiki had done both, but don't talk about it. He was four, and that's what he saw dad say to mom!)

 

Naturally, Momoi wasn't as strong as he was, but she made up for that with her persistence and brilliance. She somehow managed to keep a balance between beauty and brains. Aomine would never say any of this weird sappy shit aloud though, that'd be more gross than that lucky item Midorima had brought to school once. How and why Takao was able to get the guy...that, Aomine doesn't want to know.

 

"Wonder how they're doing," he mumbles as Momoi leads down the hallway. "The others in here, I mean."

 

Momoi turns to him, so he could see the fierce conviction in her eyes. "They're fine. Tetsu-kun and the others are capable of taking care of themselves, Dai-chan! You have to believe in them!"

 

Aomine sighs. "I hope you're right. For all our sakes, I hope you're right, Satsuki."

 

To anyone else, it would have sounded like the basketball player was skeptical of his childhood friend, but she knew better. He was unsure. He just needed to be set straight, and that was her job. To keep him on his feet.

Unfortunately—or fortunately, depends on whom you're asking—in a place like this...

Friendship only gets you killed.

....isn't that right, Izuki?

_Shut up._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so. I'm speeding up a little, because I see that a month has passed and that's pretty ridiculous.  
> Sorry! The next update will either be on late Saturday night or early Sunday morning!
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated! :)


	10. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riko loves her students, and is not afraid to die to prove it.

Kasamatsu runs into Murasakibara, in the literal sense. 

 

Kasamatsu had just been aimlessly—yet carefully—walking around. Trying to process the information given to him.

 

Was he just supposed to believe he was trapped in an elementary school that had been taken down ages ago? Hell no.

 

He was probably just being pranked by Takao and Kise. Maybe even Kuroko. He wouldn't have before thought that the polite boy would prank someone, but after what happened with the Aomine and Mai incident, Kasamatsu learned not to underestimate innocent faces. Aomine also learned not to underestimate the consequences of stealing Kuroko's milkshakes.

 

It was all some cleverly constructed prank. They'd somehow gotten the floor to break, and made this set, and got some old newspapers and were somehow voicing the mini-fires.

 

Kasamatsu only stopped trying to convince himself that was true when he first saw a corpse.

He had turned to run out of the hall and back into the classroom he met the ghost in, only to run straight into the giant man baby. 

 

"Murasakibara-kun," he sighed, happy to see anyone else.

The taller of the two nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Kasa-chin."

That was odd. His kouhai had never graced him with a nickname before. Whatever.

"Do you have any idea what's happening here?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to eat Muro-chin. Wanna help?"

 

****

_"Admit it."_

Riko groans as the wardrobe pushes her down harder, and all she wants to do is sob and beg and scream, but she refuses to show weakness to this monster.

_"You don't give a fuck about them."_

 

"I...do..." Riko grits out, and the pain increases as the blood red spirit scoffs. 

 

_"Do you? Come on, sensei. You don't have to lie to me. I know the truth. Just admit it, and maybe I'll consider sparing you."_

 

"...love...my..."

 

 _"Liar."_ It growls. _"You're all filthy liars. Stop being stubborn. You hate them, don't you? You're glad this happened. Aren't you? Aren't you? Aren't you? Aren't you? Aren't you?"_ With each repeated phase, the spirit jumps on the object pinning Riko down.

Riko squeezes her eyes shut. "They are...my chil...dren...I love..."

 

 _"Shut up! You were waiting for an opportunity like this, huh? Weren't you? Just say it already! Admit you don't give a shit about them! Admit you don't care what happens to them! You could care less, couldn't you? Say it!"_

 

Riko keeps her mouth sealed. If it can't listen to reason, she won't bother wasting what little energy she has remaining. 

 

_"What's this? Not even bothering to give me a proper response now?"_

 

The pressure let up ever so slightly as the spirit dropped to float in front of Riko's face. 

 

_"Let me make a deal with you, sensei," it cooed. "I'll spare you. I will let you go, and never bother you again. As long as you admit it."_

 

It would real ease her from the pain? The pain could stop. All she'd have to do...

 

_"You'll be free of the agony, sensei...all you have to do is tell the truth, okay?"_

 

The pain could go away....

 

(She hates them.) 

 

_"Isn't that what you tell your students all the time?"_

 

Make the pain stop....?

 

(You hate them.)

 

_"That honesty is the best policy?"_

 

(Getting darker.)

 

Riko could make the pain stop. All she has to do....

 

(Riko hates them.)

 

_"You have to practice what you preach, right, sensei?"_

 

Riko feels something weird inside of her. 

 

(Hate.)

 

 _"Don't be stubborn."_ The ghost looks to be getting agitated. 

 

(Hatred. That's what she feels.)

 

"I hate...." Riko starts, eyes as black as charcoal. The rest of what she has to say fades into mumbles.

 

(Darker.)

 

 _"Yes? Finish your sentences, dearie."_ It's getting excited. 

 

(Darken.)

 

"I...hate...

 

(Dark.)

 

...people like you.."

 

(Pure.)

 

The ghost freezes. 

 

"People like....you..." Riko keeps going. "Who...are so...biased...b...believing everyone is the s-same...."

 

_"SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU LYING-"_

 

"So what?!" Riko musters up enough strength the yell right on back. "Some teachers are bad, a-and make unf-forgivable mistakes! That's not all of them!"

 

_"I'LL KILL YOU! SHUT UP AND ADMIT YOUR SINS!"_

 

"You can kill...me," Riko pants, letting her head drop to the floor like the blood dripping from her body. "Torture me more, all you'd like... But don't you dare, lay a hand on my students... _ **my children!"**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for staying this long! The chapters are probably gonna get longer, else this'll have like 2k chapters. Anyways, the next update should be Thursday, Friday-ish. Comments and kudos are appreciated, thanks! <3


	11. Tongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko had always held a fondness for children. 
> 
>  
> 
> It'd be a lie to claim that sentence couldn't be said vice versa.

Akashi tugged on the peeling entrance door to no avail. It was almost as thought it were a decoration on the wall. Kuroko sighed softly, two rows away. The entrance room had shoes tossed haphazardly everywhere. There were four wooden benches set in rows vertical to the door. 

Kuroko wanted to say something, but that'd probably make it worse. Kuroko knew that Akashi was upset with him, and for good reason, at least. If Kuroko had not left him in the infirmary, he wouldn't have been attacked. 

 

Kuroko followed silently, like a shadow, as Akashi walked out.

***

 

Riko panted as she tried desperately once again to get the wardrobe off of her. The ghost had simply left, without freeing her or anything. Not like she expected it too, but still, rude. But more importantly, how were her students?

Technically, Himuro and Kasamtasu weren't her actual students anymore. They were her teacher assistants, which is why they had her homeroom. They were still her children, whatever.

She hated imagining what could be happening (was, is, she knows they aren't safe) to her students. She hadn't seen any real threats besides the ghosts and bodies. The only thing she hoped for was that no one was alone.

 

If something...did happen, to her kids in this school...it'd be better for them to not suffer through it alone. 

 

Better to die with someone by your side, right? 

Bitter.

She was ashamed. Was she seriously feeling envious just because she was going to die by herself and her students weren't?

 

No–just she would die. Her students were smart. They'd find a way out.

Riko heard the footsteps outside the classroom. Heavy ones, and a scraping noise, like something (not one, thing) was being dragged along the floor. 

 

Riko held her breath. Whatever it was, she didn't want it near her. But of course that would be the exact case. She had never closed the door after she entered, after all.

Because she was in clear view of the doorway, whatever was in the doorway had a clear view of her. So when she saw a tall man with bushy eyebrows with a name tag _'Hello, My Name Is Mitobe'_ and a bigass disturbingly red splattered hammer, he saw a 24 year old woman with frightened brown eyes wide like saucers, blood streaming slowly out of her body.

Mitobe shook his head sadly, wiggling one of his eyebrows and making a hand motion for some reason. A small voice came from the blue spirit perched on his shoulder. Had it always been there? Riko doesn't know, the _blood covered_ weapon gripped her attention. _"No adults allowed right now. You're supposed to be at the meeting. Rule breakers must be punished. Sorry, sensei."_

 

"Um," Riko said, barely able to push anything out of her mouth other than her quick breaths that couldn't take anything in. "We c-can...talk about t-this? I'm up f-for....." Mitobe stepped in, and Riko did not like how he was approaching at all. "...negotiation." She despaired. She was helpless. Because of a damn nasty hair filled closet pushed over by a ghost with some issues. 

 

____#

 

Kuroko shuffled after Akashi, thoughts racing. They couldn't escape with the main entrance or through any of the windows, but that didn't mean there was no hope. 

 

There might be a back exit. One of his friends could have found it. 

Oh.

 

The thought of his friends made his heart throb. They were stuck in here too, right? What if something happened? 

 

_No, my friends are not stupid. And Kise isn't either. Just kidding. Kise is my friend._

Kuroko let out a pitiful choked chuckle, the quietness of it loud in the corridor. Apparently, that was all it took for a ghost to appear. In between him and Akashi, who had stopped a little bit ahead to wait for him, another spirit forms out of no where. But this one is different. Instead of it being a tiny fire, it was a large little boy with forked eyebrows.

Kuroko inhaled sharply, making the boy slowly turn to face him instead of his friend.

Why wasn't Akashi reacting? He was just staring at Kuroko, as if to say _Why are you not moving?_

The boy smiled, making his eyes crinkle.

..no. Eye.

His left eye with missing. Just a gaping bloody hole, its insides squishy looking.

Kuroko couldn't stop his instincts, and turned and ran, hoping that he would yet wouldn't be followed.

"Testuya?!" Akashi called, but Kuroko resisted the urge to stop. He kept running. 

___________##_

Riko could not have done any thing, not one thing whatsoever, as Mitobe swung the hammer down, smashing her cranium like a pumpkin, besides scream her lungs raw. ~~I guess she became flatter than usual.~~

__

 

__

Riko had never been a religious person. She never particularly cared. But just before she was hit, she used her last thoughts to pray for her students–her children's safety. They needed to be protected.

__

 

__

If only Riko had known. Maybe she would have fought harder, if she had. 

__

 

__

_** ~~God will never exist in this place. Not when hell can't save you.~~ ** _

That's what the note Takao picked up said. Truthfully, he really wished everyone would just stop writing them, because they were super depressing and not helping his hope whatsoever. 

Repeating the message aloud, he watched carefully as Midorima's frown deepened, but gave no verbal reply. They both knew what he was thinking, anyways. 

 

_This is getting more and more hopeless by the second._

 

They were downstairs now, in the infirmary. The place was radiating a weird feeling for some reason, to Takao, at least.

He felt like something was there. Couldn't see it, but it could see them.

 

Takao felt really tired. The entrance door handles were missing, so that wasn't an option anymore. The windows were useless. All the classrooms were empty, with an occasional...body, and slips of paper with writing, mostly telling about their despair. Where did they even get the paper? Did they use their scrap?

 

Takao reached in his pocket to check if he still had his doll piece. Thankfully, yes. He thought they were going important, especially if his suspicions were right.

He had a terrible feeling that they were all here because they didn't do the charm correctly. Truth be told, he had flubbed up and lost count halfway through. That made his gut twist. His screw up got them stuck here.

"Takao." He looked up at Midorima, who was standing near the door, and felt alarmed. Midorima still didn't have his glasses. What if he missteps? "There is nothing of use in here, as far as I can see."

 

"But you can't see," Takao joked, and received a glare for his efforts. 

Midorima turned the doorknob, yet nothing happened. He could pull it, but it was being stopped by seemingly nothing.

He stood up to help, and because those beds were anything but comfortable. They were dusty, and springs were popping out of the sides of the thin mattress. 

 

As soon as he stood up, though he fell back down. Or, his body did, at least. 

Midorima sighed. "Not again." Takao's body was on the bed, while his spirit–or hawkeye, as the tiny spirit had named it–was floating floating right above the floor.

"Oops," Takao muttered. "Hi," he said to himself. 

Takao looked down at his body. This was kind of annoying him. Was he just going to be completely useless like this?

What even _was_ this?

 

\---

The kid had decided to chase Kuroko. And of course, every single room he tried to enter was locked. Because this is a horror movie. 

 

Finally–he made it to the only unlocked door, a classroom. He didn't try closing the door, because he's not stupid. He stepped in, and almost immediately slipped on a newspaper, barely catching himself. He felt his hands get embedded with splinters.

 

Smooth. 

 

Kuroko stayed still. He heard the ghost moaning, attempting to speak. But he had fallen just next to the doorway. 

 

It didn't see him.

While that was a relief, Kuroko hoped it wouldn't decide to go after Akashi. He doesn't even know what happened to the redhead. Was he trying to find him? 

 

 _Or perhaps,_ his mind bitterly told him, _he kept looking for a way out without you so he can celebrate._

Whatever. Shush. Kuroko breathed, and reached for the paper, and skimmed it. It talked about the school. How multiple students had gone missing, just for almost all of them to be found dead. He was mildly disturbed. They needed to get out, before something happened–now.

Coincidentally, both doors decided to slam shut as hard and loud as they could. The sudden noise was enough for him to turn around. Something on the front caught his pale blue eyes. The blackboard had white chalk written over it. 

 

_dO nOT read the neWSPaPer! WhaTeVer yOu dO!!_

.....oh. 

"Yeah," said the ghost boy, sitting next to the blue haired male. Kuroko whipped to face him and flung his fist out reflexively. Of course, it did nothing. "I don't think you followed the directions. Rule breakers have to be punished, eh?" 

Kuroko said nothing, biting his lip as his heart attempted to beat itself out of his chest.

It was like he was incapable of moving. Paralyzed. Fear. The child moved closer, and Kuroko's senses finally kicked in. He backed up on his hands and feet, like how they do in the movies when they tripped for no reason while the bad guy was chasing them. The ghost casually floated a few feet ahead, as though this was no time out of its day.

It probably isn't. The doors were closed, locked most likely. There was all the time in the world.

As he scooted back, his hand hit a loose board. At first, he thought he had slipped up and partially fell into a hole. Even about to probably die, Kuroko wanted to know what was in there. Ignoring the sting the wood in his palm have him, he frantically tugged at it. Now his fingers got stuck by the chips.

Lucky for him, it was worth it. For the moment, at least.

Beneath the floor was a small purple hemp bag. He snatched it quickly, and stood up. There was a tag on it.

_**Kagami Taiga** _

The ghost had stopped, for some reason. Wait, no. It was gone. When did it leave?

...had it never been there in the first place?

No, it had to have been there...though now that he thought about it, Akashi hadn't seemed affected by the boy just popping up out of nowhere. In fact, Akashi had acted as though he had not seen it....? And the doors to the classroom, they were open.

What was happening? He can't have been seeing things. It was there. He saw it. He saw it!

_......right??_

It would make sense if he hadn't! It hadn't even tried to attack him. All it did was follow. But he wasn't delusional. He was not.

The gooey darkness continued to envelop Kuroko's body as he opened the hemp bag to discover a cut off tongue within, still wet with blood and saliva.

If Akashi couldn't find his shortest friend before, he could sure track him from his scream of terror as he smartly threw the bag at a hole in the floor, watched as it tumbled in and disappeared.

__

 

__

•_-

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for late chapter! Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated. 
> 
>  
> 
> One joins the blue team. I guess you could say it was....crushing.
> 
>  
> 
> (Shut the hell up, Izuki.)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for taking the time to try this fic out! It's my first! Any constructive criticism is okay, like any concerns or something. Tell me if you like it, with comments or kudos, I dunno. Thanks! Bye~


End file.
